1. Field of Invention
The invention generally relates to the green, renewable energy industry and particularly to the hydrokinetic energy conversion (HKEC) industry by the novel combination of wind power generators on the one hand, and bridge and other supporting structures in all bodies of water. The invention substantially cuts the cost of HKEC systems because it may be retrofitted to existing bridge columns as well as to new bridge columns that support highway decks; the cost of the bridge structure may be fully absorbed by the project cost for constructing the bridge. Consequently, the cost of this invention for generating electric energy from the HKEC system becomes substantially lower than what it would be without using the bridge structure; this invention will turn bridge columns into dual-use structures.
Wind power generators (WPG) have evolved over the last couple of decades into highly efficient power generating systems to the extent that they are used by the world-wide utility industry in their wind farms for efficient bulk energy production. It is well known that the technology for harvesting Hydrokinetic energy (HKE) lags the wind power generator technology. Wind power generators operate at high efficiencies but cannot be submerged in water, but they can handle rain and heavy weather. This invention uses a novel method to keep WPGs above the water while generating electricity from HKE in any body of water.
2. Prior Art
Water in ocean, sea and rivers offer plenty of energy but the technology to harvest HKE energy from water is still in the experimental stages. Two of the problems facing HKEC systems are the cost and low efficiency of current systems.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/429,375 filed on Mar. 24, 2012, and now issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,459,020, and the PCT application PCT/US2013/031334 teach the following about existing technologies for HKEC systems: they require expensive investment in civil and mechanical systems to retain these systems in boisterous water during severe weather. Further, this invention overcomes the well-known inefficiencies and experimental nature of the submerged wave and water-energy conversion technologies in existence today because this invention enables the use of wind power technology without submerging the equipment in the water.